


Maleficent Evil Incorporated

by TheMangosity



Category: Kingdom Hearts, Maleficent (Disney Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:15:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21845770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMangosity/pseuds/TheMangosity
Summary: The darkness is growing, and Maleficent has no idea where it's coming from. She doesn't have time to deal with this. She's trying to run a business. Luckily, she has help from an old comrade. His help is Key to solving her problems.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10
Collections: Yuletide 2019





	1. Forging an Alliance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chase_acow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chase_acow/gifts).



> Merry Christmas! I really hope you like this! I put my heart and soul into it!! Based on some of the things you said in your letter and after looking at the stories you've written, I thought you might like this approach! Enjoy!

This world was growing too close to the darkness. It normally resided in twilight, its heart caught suspended between light and dark. That was part of the reason the fair folk and other such creatures flourished on this world. The light and the dark influenced them in equal measure.

That was rapidly changing. Recently, the world’s heart had shifted toward the dark. It was a truly sinister darkness, one born of hatred and malice.

Such tantalizingly foul darkness was too much to resist for the Heartless.

Gliding high above the forest, Maleficent watched as hordes of Heartless rose up from the ground. They had begun to appear more and more recently. Although they kept to the forest for now, if the darkness continued to grow, it was only a matter of time before they began appearing in more populated areas.

Maleficent could think of no reason for this world's sudden shift toward the darkness. If there was ever an opportunity for the darkness to claw its way into this world’s heart, it would have been during Queen Ingrith's attempt to start a war with the fair folk. That queen's hatred for the moors was so powerful that Maleficent was shocked she hadn't been consumed by her own darkness.

There was a time when Maleficent made it her duty to seek out hearts as vile as that. The Heartless she could have made with a heart as wicked as Queen Ingrith's would have been spectacular. She would no longer do anything like that nowadays, but she could still appreciate good evil from time to time.

Below, the Heartless began to multiply, and Maleficent came to a halt, holding her wings aloft against the air to hover in place. Heartless began to rise up out of the ground in greater numbers. It was mostly the weaker Shadows, but she spied some elite Heartless among their ranks. They were all headed west, toward the beach. Maleficent narrowed her eyes. If she followed them, perhaps they could lead her to the source of the darkness.

She swooped down and flew lower to the ground, following along with the procession of Heartless. If any of the Heartless saw her, they paid her no mind. As reformed as she was, she was still a being of darkness. The Heartless would see her as one of their own if they happened to notice her in the sky.

With the setting sun at her back, Maleficent followed the Heartless all the way to the shore. She alighted on a cliff that overlooked the beach and looked across the bay, where King Stefan's dilapidated, abandoned castle loomed like a ghost. It made sense that the Heartless would be attracted to a place like this. King Stefan had risen to power through lies, corruption and betrayal. Such darkness was the sweetest kind.

She turned away from the bad memories and looked down at the beach, where the Heartless were pouring onto the shore in droves. The ocean of Heartless crowded against the base of the cliff, and that was when she saw what they were after—cornered against the base of the cliff was a man with a sword, and behind him, crumpled and motionless in the sand, was a young boy.

No wonder the Heartless were drawn here. Against the darkness that cloaked this desolate place, these two hearts shone like a beacon. Their light was impossible to ignore, and the Heartless were ravenous.

Somehow, the swordsman was holding his own against the Heartless, but Maleficent knew his fate was sealed. Although he fought with skill, the Heartless began to close in on him, and his defeat was inevitable.

As more and more heartless poured over the cliff, the man didn’t seem afraid. Even from this distance, Maleficent could see the fire in his heart. His sword gleamed brilliantly in the dying sun as he held it up against the Heartless.

That was when Maleficent realized it wasn’t a sword at all, at least not an ordinary one. She never thought she would cross paths with a Keyblade wielder ever again, especially not this one.

Without hesitation, she leapt from the cliff and dove down into the fray. She supposed she should stop the Heartless from devouring their hearts. It was the least she could do for an old acquaintance.

* * *

They never should have come here. This world was crawling with darkness, and the Heartless were feeding greedily off of it, growing stronger until they were nearly unstoppable. Sora had insisted that they come. If the world was so full of darkness, then that meant there were people who needed help.

With a cry, Riku swung his Keyblade at a Heartless that was flying at him with its claws. He wished he had never listened to Sora. These Heartless were too strong for them to handle alone. If they didn’t get out of here soon, one of them was going to get seriously hurt.

Riku stole a glance at Sora, who was a little ways away battling a Heartless of his own. He looked tired. Riku had every faith in Sora, but the Heartless were getting the best of him, so much so that he didn’t notice a Heartless lunge at him from behind.

“Sora, get down!” he shouted.

“Huh? Oh!” Sora whirled to face the Heartless, but Riku’s Keyblade was already slicing it cleanly out of existence. Sora heaved a sigh. “Thanks. That was a close one.”

Riku could hear the exhaustion in Sora’s voice. He wasn’t used to fighting in the darkness like this. Even his Keyblade was looking worse for wear.

Riku turned his back to Sora and held his arm out protectively. “I want you to stay close to me.”

“Really? Come on, Riku. I can take care of myself.”

“Just look at your Keyblade.”

“What? Oh.” The normally shiny metal had turned rusty and dull. This darkness was so powerful that his Keyblade was having trouble keeping up. It would go back to normal if Sora gave it a rest, but if he wasn’t careful, it would break very soon.

After a moment of clear deliberation, Sora dismissed his Keyblade, and Riku thought he would hang back and let him do the fighting.

“ _Fire_!” Sora shouted, and flames erupted all around them, destroying several of the Heartless. Riku could admit that Sora was very good at magic, even better than him. According to Master Yen Sid, it was a gift to be able to use magic without a staff or a weapon as a medium. Sora had only just recently figured out he could do it, and he was terrible at pacing himself. He would get tired soon.

“Don’t push yourself,” Riku warned.

“Right.”

They fought their hardest, but the tide wouldn’t turn. More and more Heartles kept pouring over the cliffs and hills above. They needed to retreat, but there was nowhere they could go. The Heartless were everywhere, and there nothing but a drop-off to their back. Riku began to calculate a strategy. If he could cut down a path through the Heartless, he could hold them off long enough for Sora to escape.

Riku was so focused on his plan to get Sora out of there that his guard slipped for just a fraction of a moment. By the time he noticed the Heartless bounding toward him, it was too late.

“Riku, look out!” Sora shouted, but it was too late for Riku to react. The Heartless rammed into him and he fell to the ground.

The Heartless towered over him. It was one of those armored types that wouldn’t go down so easily, and Riku was at a disadvantage on the ground.

“ _Ignite_!” Sora shouted, and the Heartless burst into flames from the inside, but that wasn’t enough to destroy it. It swung its now-flaming sword at Sora, who jumped backward with a cry. He was dangerously close to the cliff’s edge.

“Hey! Back off!” Riku shouted. He jumped to his feet and swung his Keyblade at the Heartless. The Heartless spun around to avoid the blow, and its hefty shield knocked Sora back.

Sora screamed as he slipped off the cliff’s edge.

Riku gasped. “Sora!” The armored Heartless was still coming for him. He made the quick decision to zip behind the Heatless and slice into its armor from behind. It finally disappeared in a burst of flames and darkness.

Ignoring the rest of Heartless rapidly approaching, Riku scrambled over to the cliff’s edge and looked down in horror. Sora was tumbling over and over, his body crashing against the rock face as he plummeted to the beach below. 

Riku rushed down after him, jumping between outcroppings and uneven rocks to make a safer descent. By the time Riku reached him, he was already finished falling. Sora didn’t move to get up.

“Sora?” Riku called, touching his shoulder and rolling him onto his back. He was still breathing, at least, but he was banged up worse than Riku had ever seen. Blood was streaming from the side of his head, and no matter how Riku called him, Sora wouldn’t open his eyes.

The Heartless were still coming after them, jumping from the cliff to reach them. He looked around for a path of escape, but to his horror, there were more Heartless further down the beach. There was nowhere to run.

Riku glanced back at Sora’s unconscious face and gripped his Keyblade. He stood up and held his Keyblade at the ready. He wasn’t sure how long he could hold out, but he would protect Sora for as long as he could.

No matter how may Heartless he destroyed, he could sense the darkness getting stronger and stronger. With so many Heartless joined together in such strong numbers, they amplified the darkness, just as the darkness amplified them.

Riku didn’t let that stop him from fighting. He stayed close to Sora and swatted away every Heartless that he could, even as he knew that it was hopeless.

When he saw the Heartless begin to form a tower, he felt a deep dread. If they finished that tower, it was over.

“ _Thunder_!” Riku called, and a powerful bolt of lightning struck the tower, but it wasn’t enough. It only managed to pick off a handful of the Heartless. There were too many. The darkness was too strong.

Out of the shadows above, a figure suddenly swooped down and landed right in front of the Heartless tower. It was too dark for him to see what it looked like, but Riku almost didn’t want to know. It couldn’t have been good news.

There was a bright green flash, and lighting rained down from the sky. The crackling energy was erratic. One of the bolts nearly struck Sora, and Riku threw himself over his friend to shield him. If this was the end, then they would go together.

Then a voice cried out from the darkness, “Be gone! Insolent creatures!”

It was a voice Riku never thought he would hear again. Riku’s eyes shot open and he looked up. It was hard to see, but he managed to make out a figure in the haze—a tall, cloaked woman with horns. She spared him a glance over her shoulder, and suddenly Riku was a boy again, and he was afraid of her. She almost looked like a completely different person, but he would recognize that piercing gaze anywhere. One thing hadn’t changed: Maleficent was still the mistress of all evil.  
  
And apparently she had wings now, or maybe it was just a trick of the darkness.

Maleficent shot a blast of green flames into the Heartless and broke their ranks, clearing a path. “Go,” she commanded. “Take him to the top of the hill. It’s safe there.”

Without hesitation, Riku gathered Sora up into his arms and ran without looking back. He ran until they were far past the beach, even past the top of the hill. He ran until his lungs burned. He only stopped running when he heard a small groan from Sora.

He tried not to jostle Sora’s head as he placed him gently on the grass. Blood was still oozing from his head wound, and Riku was glad he wasn’t squeamish.

He called his Keyblade to his hand and made a sweeping motion over Sora’s body. “ _Heal_ ,” he uttered softly.

Green light fell over Sora, and the wound at his head closed, but Riku doubted his magic was strong enough to heal any internal damage. He wasn’t as good at magic as Sora. If their roles were reversed, Sora would have been able to heal him no problem, and that bothered him.

The light faded away, and Sora stirred gently. Then he cried out. He looked like he was trying to get up, but Riku held him down gently.

“Squeeze my hand,” Riku said, gripping Sora’s hand tightly. “You’re going to be just fine.”

Sora blinked a few times, but his eyes never fixed on Riku’s. “Riku, are you okay?” His voice was heavy from the pain.

“Try not to move,” Riku said, ignoring the question. Sora’s breathing was fast and uneven. He was squirming uneasily. Sora needed a lot more healing than Riku could offer.

“Riku, listen to me,” Sora said breathlessly. “I can’t get up. You have to—” Sora breathed in sharply and held his breath, and Riku didn’t complain when Sora squeezed his hand harder. He waited patiently for him to be able to go on. “You have to go get help,” Sora managed to say. “I can wait for you to get back.”

“No.”

“But Riku—”

“Quiet,” he snapped. “Let me think.” If he could get Sora to Donald or Aerith, they would be able to heal him instantly, but the Gummi Ship was parked a long way off from here, and they would have to get past all of those Heartless.

Sora was beginning to lose consciousness. His grip on Riku’s hand was fading.

There came a rustle from behind them, and Riku started. He was completely on edge, ready to defend Sora from whatever Heartless had found them, but it was only Maleficent. Her wings dragged across the ground as she walked toward them. So his eyes hadn’t been fooling him after all.

Riku suddenly knew what he had to do. He turned back to Sora and squeezed his hand gently. “You relax,” Riku said as Sora’s eyes began to slip closed. “I’ll take care of everything.”

Maleficent stopped a few paces away. “Fancy meeting you here, boy.”

Her voice sent chills down his spine. He wanted to bark back that he was twenty one years old, but that would only make her mad.

“He’s hurt,” Riku said without preamble. “Can you heal him?”

Maleficent’s gaze fell over Sora’s prone form. She looked mildly disgusted, but she always looked that way, if Riku remembered correctly. “I can,” she said at last. “But you must do something for me in return.”

“I'll do whatever you want,” Riku replied grimly. He knew that whatever she wanted from him would be awful, but he would do anything for Sora, and she knew it.

“Good. Then step back.”

Riku stared back hard. “I’m staying right here.”

“Fine. Suit yourself.”

Maleficent kneeled beside Sora, and Riku got a better look at her wings. They were magnificent. They looked so soft that Riku wanted to touch them, but he didn’t dare.

Maleficent held her hand out and dull green flames rose up around Sora’s body. It was much brighter than Riku's healing spell, and it lasted a lot longer. When the light died away, Sora’s face was no longer anguished, and his breathing was a lot easier.

“I've done all I can,” Maleficent said, getting to her feet. He could tell the spell had drained her just the slightest, but she was good at hiding it. “He was gravely injured. There's a chance he may not recover.”

Riku suspected as much, but Sora’s heart was strong. He knew Sora would pull through.

“My daughter’s castle isn’t too far from here. She’ll take him in. He can rest there.”

“D-Daughter?” Riku sputtered. “You have a daughter?”

“Yes. Did you think you were the only wayward child I adopted, boy?”

Riku didn’t say anything to that.

“You wait here. I’ll fly ahead and ask them to send a medical transport.”

“Wait!” Riku called as she fanned out her wings to take flight. “Maleficent, tell me what you want from me.”

“Can’t it wait? It is quite the explanation.”

“No. I want to know now,” Riku spat, “and if it puts Sora in danger, you can forget it.”

Maleficent chuckled under her breath, the way she always used to. “Of course. I would never dream of putting your dear friend in danger.”

Riku didn’t like her smile. Maleficent explained what it was she needed from him, and Riku couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It wasn’t as awful as he had thought it would be, but he knew he wasn’t going to like it.

“Do we have a deal?” Maleficent asked, extending a hand.

Riku shook the offered hand, though he really didn’t want to. “Yes.”

“Excellent. Then I’ll see you at the castle.”

She fanned out her wings and shot up into the sky until she was high above the clouds, where Riku couldn’t see her. Riku took off his jacket, folded it up neatly and placed it underneath Sora’s head. He was glad that Maleficent had given Sora a fighting chance at life, and he didn’t regret that he had offered to do whatever she wanted, but he dreaded what the coming days would bring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I vowed that if I matched on Maleficent, I would make Kingdom Hearts references in my story! But then as you can see I got very carried away XD
> 
> When I saw that you wrote that one Kingdom Hearts story that's a crossover between Kingdom Hearts and Supernatural, I thought you might be open to the idea of a Kingdom Hearts crossover! I really hope you're into this and enjoy the story!


	2. The Town South of Ulstead

Maleficent Evil Incorporated was less evil than the name suggested. She had once met a man on another world with a similarly named company, and since copyright laws didn't crossover between worlds, she did what any ex-mistress of evil would do: she stole what she liked.

Diaval flew up to the imposing three-story building that Maleficent had recently had built. It was on the same plot of land where the three fairies had raised Aurora. After that whole war between the moors and the humans, the fair folk had wanted to do something to show their good intentions to the humans, to prove they really did mean no harm.

Maleficent knew just what to do: she built a company to help with any problems the fair folk might have integrating into the human world. Now that the fair folk could come and go as they pleased between the moors and the land of the humans, there were bound to be some problems.

Not all of the fair folk were open to the idea of interacting amicably with humans. Not all of the fair folk even had the capacity for it. That was where Maleficent Evil Incorporated came into play. If there was ever any trouble between the fair folk and the humans, then one of Maleficent’s minions would go and sort it out.

However, she no longer liked to call her underlings “minions.” They were her employees now.

Diaval flew through a third floor window of the office and made the transformation to human. Maleficent had charmed a ring for him that stayed on his ankle when he was a crow and on his finger when he was human. It allowed him to transform from crow to human and back again, along with some of the other animals Maleficent had turned him into before. It made things convenient for both of them, since he didn’t have to go running to her every time he wanted to become human.

As soon as Diaval’s newly human feet hit the floor, he heard a yelp as someone screamed and fell over.

“Why I outa… Why don’t you watch where yer flyin’?” It was Pete, Maleficent’s head of security. As a cat-man-creature, he fit in perfectly with the moorfolk, but Diaval had no idea why Maleficent kept him around. He was a big bully.

“Good morning, Pete. How’re things here?”

“Fine, until you showed up out of the blue and nearly scared me half to death!”

Diaval opened his mouth to say something snarky back, but his thoughts were interrupted as the three fairies burst out in giggles.

He looked across the room and saw a boy he didn’t recognize sitting at one of the desks. He looked human, but Diaval doubted he was. His hair was unnaturally silver. Diaval knew all of the fair folk around here. Perhaps he was another animal Maleficent had transfigured into a human.

The three fairies were buzzing around his head as he spoke into a magic mirror. That was how Maleficent Evil Incorporated communicated with its customers, but Maleficent had never been able to find a good secretary. The last one, a wallerbog, had quit after a week. Diaval hoped this boy was better and less odiferous.

“Maleficent doesn’t have time to meet with you next week,” he said sternly into the magic mirror. “If you’d just give me some dates when you’re free, I’ll get back to you in a day or so.” The caller hung up a moment later, and the boy sighed deeply through his nose.

One of the fairies patted his head. “It’s not your fault. That man was being difficult. Although I would be difficult too if hedgehog fairies kept destroying my garden every day.”

“Fauna,” he said with the voice of a man long suffering, “please stop braiding my hair.”

"Oh, but it's so pretty! I can’t help it! And you did it again, dear. My name is Thistlewit.”

“Right. Sorry. You remind me of someone I know.”

“Who is that?” Diaval asked Pete.

Pete followed his gaze to the silver-haired youth, who was still begging the fairies not to braid his hair, and waging a losing battle, in Diaval’s opinion.

“Oh, that guy? Didn’t ya know? That’s Riku. He used to be Maleficent’s little protégé, before he stabbed her in the back, anyway.”

“What?” Maleficent had never told her of any such person. He knew her history with King Stefan, and betrayal was one of the many things she would not tolerate in the slightest. If this Riku had truly betrayed her, it was odd that she had forgiven him enough to allow him to work for her.

“Look at that pretty boy. Actin’ all smug just because he’s the new guy.” Diaval saw quite the opposite. He was being nice enough to the fairies, even though he was clearly irritated with their antics. “Guys like that?” Pete went on. “They don’t even notice guys like us. We’re not even on his radar.”

“What do you mean ‘guys like us’?”

“Oh, ya know. Losers. Nobodies. Bottom feeders.”

Diaval reared back. “Excuse me? I am Maleficent's wings.”

“Last time I checked, she already had wings.” Diaval didn't say anything. It had never really occurred to him that Maleficent no longer needed him to be her wings, now that she had recovered hers. Maleficent still asked things of him. He had just been gone for a month on an important mission negotiating with the fair folk in the frozen north. At the time it felt like a mission of utmost importance. Hearing Pete's words made him feel like Maleficent was just trying to get rid of him.

“Face it, pal. You're not Maleficent’s number two anymore, and that guy is your replacement.”

The things Pete said didn’t normally get under Diaval’s skin, but today it did.

“Is Maleficent in her office?” Diaval asked.

“Sure. She just got back,” Pete said.

Diaval went down to the end of the hall and poked his head through the ornate, black doorframe that lead into Maleficent’s office. Her office was gloomy and dark, just like her keep had been back in the old days. She had reformed herself since those days, but he supposed old habits died hard. There were rows and rows of her magic potions on a shelf behind her, and she sat in the middle of the room at her huge black desk. She didn’t appear to be working on anything, simply contemplating, as she often did.

Maleficent opened her eyes as soon as Diaval entered the room, though he knew he hadn’t made a sound. “I wondered when you would return. I take it your mission was successful.”

“Yes, Mistress,” Diaval replied with a short bow. “The fair folk of the north would be happy to become our allies, but they’re still suspicious of the humans. They’re willing to meet with you, though.”

“I see,” Maleficent said. “Have Riku arrange a meeting with them.”

“Ay, Mistress. By the way, who is that boy? I’ve never seen him before. Is he of the fae?”

Maleficent laughed. Diaval never knew whether to get worried or not when Maleficent laughed. It was always a gamble whether it meant she was in a good mood or a bad mood. “Who? Him? That boy is as human as they come. He’s an old…comrade of mine. He owes me a favor.”

“I see.”

Maleficent’s mouth curled up in a wicked smile, and now Diaval knew to be wary of her mood. “Why, Diaval, I never thought you to be the jealous sort.”

“Jealous?” Diaval sputtered. “That’s not it at all, Mistress.”

“Oh, please. It’s written all over your face. You’ve been speaking to Pete, haven’t you?”

“Erm…we may have had a conversation.”

With a flick of Maleficent’s fingers, Diaval transformed back into a crow, and a magical wind ushered him into her open palms. He was so used to transforming himself back and forth that it felt strange to feel her magic course through his body.

Maleficent held him up to her face and looked at him with her severe brand of kindness, which hadn’t gotten much kinder over the years, but Diaval was used to it. “Pete has been jealous of Riku for as long as I can recall. Pay that oaf no mind. Take it from me, Diaval. You are my one and only servant. Do you understand?”

Diaval cawed in affirmation.

“Now don’t ever make me say that again or I may gag.”

Maleficent placed him on her shoulder, and Diaval began to preen. “I have another task for you,” she said as she rose from her desk. “We have word there’s a creature ravaging the Town South of Ulstead.” 

Diaval loved it there. They made the best corn muffins he had ever tasted, though in his opinion they tasted much better when he was a crow than when he was human.

Maleficent went over to the large magic mirror that was mounted on the back wall of her office. “Magic Mirror,” she said in a booming voice, “show me the Town South of Ulstead.”

The white mist on the surface of the mirror swirled like a violent storm, but it never parted as it usually did to reveal what Maleficent had asked for. “As you can see, something is blocking the mirror’s magic, so I can’t see what sort of creature it is. I suspect it’s only a creature of the moors that’s gotten lost. I want you to investigate.”

 _I’ll head there straightaway_ , Diaval said through their mind link.

“And take the boy with you,” Maleficent added. “The Heartless are growing more tenacious by the day. He possesses a special weapon that can protect you if you run into trouble.”

Maleficent had spoken of the Heartless in the past, but Diaval had never seen one in real life before today. He had seen some on the ground as he flew back from the frozen north. They looked like frightful creatures, but Diaval had seen worse just from living in the moors.

_With all due respect, Mistress, I don’t need protecting._

“Don’t be foolish. I can’t have you getting your heart stolen because you were too proud to accept help. Besides, those fairies will never get any work done with him around.”

Diaval couldn’t disagree with that. He had seen a huge pile of papers near the fairies’ workstation that looked like at least a couple of days’ worth of mail.

_As you wish, Mistress._

Outside, Riku was diligently writing something out on a sheet of parchment, seemingly having abandoned his effort to get the fairies to stop bothering him. They were braiding bright blue flowers into his hair.

Diaval walked over and cleared his throat. “Hello, I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Diaval.”

“Riku,” he said, eyeing him warily, as if Diaval was there to bring more flowers for the fairies to torment him with.

“Maleficent’s asked me go investigate some suspicious activity to the south. I’m to take you with me.”

He had never seen a man look more relieved than Riku looked in that moment. He stood up from his desk and bowed to the three fairies. “I’m sorry, you three. I have to go.”

He reached up to unbraid the flowers from his hair, but Fittle flew up and touched his hand. “Oh, please don’t take them out. They look so lovely.”

“They really do,” Knotgrass said. “They bring out your eyes.”

Riku looked from the fairies to Diaval, begging for help with his eyes, which really did contrast nicely with the flowers.

“I say they make you look very elegant,” Diaval offered.

“Yes! Very elegant,” Knotgrass agreed.

Riku sighed. “Fine. I’ll leave them in for an hour, and then I’m taking them out.”

The fairies cheered, and Riku looked defeated.

“You know, ladies,” Diaval said, “Pete looks like he could use some flowers in his hair. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Oh yes,” Thistlewit said, and all three of the fairies turned to look at Pete. “Absolutely.”

“Hey, now wait a minute! You stay away from me!” Pete shouted as the fairies closed in on him. They didn’t listen, and proceeded to chase him out of the room with armfuls of flowers.

Diaval smiled at his handiwork and turned to Riku. “Let’s be off then.”

“So, where exactly are we going?” Riku asked once they were outside.

“To the Town South of Ulstead. There’s reports of a creature attacking the town.”

Riku looked alarmed. “Heartless?”

“Maleficent thinks it’s only a creature from the moors,” Diaval said, but Riku didn’t look convinced. “If it is, we’ll need to coax it back where it came from. We’re not to kill it unless absolutely necessary. You understand?”

“Got it. How’re we getting there?”

“By horse. It’ll take about an hour. Do you know how to ride?”

“I’ve ridden a Chocobo before. It can’t be much different from that.”

“What’s a Chocobo?”

“You know what? Never mind. I’m sure I’ll figure it out.” He saw Riku’s eyes scan the glen, looking for the horses they would take, but he would find none.

Diaval tapped into the power of his ring and took the form of a horse. There were still flowers in his hair from the last time he’d transformed into a horse. Unlike Riku, he liked it when the three fairies braided flowers into his hair, though they only took interest in his hair when he was a horse.

Riku jumped back in shock. “Okay,” he said uneasily, but he quickly recovered. Apparently he had experience with magic. “Is there a saddle anywhere?”

Diaval shook his head, and Riku didn’t look pleased. “Well, then can you kneel?”

Diaval knelt and did his best to keep still while Riku mounted.

“Okay,” Riku said after a moment. “I’m on.”

Diaval stood, and Riku teetered a little, but he managed to stay on.

“Does it hurt when I grab your hair?” Riku asked, and Diaval shook his head again. He appreciated that Riku was being so considerate. Most of his first time riders tugged his hair out of fright once they were so high off the ground.

He made sure Riku was securely in place, and set off at a canter for the Town South of Ulstead.

* * *

For someone who claimed not to be able to ride a horse, Riku sure did know how to ride. He knew to move his body in rhythm with Diaval’s gait, and he knew for them to lean together whenever they came to a curve. He even held onto Diaval’s main without tugging it. He was either lying about not knowing how to ride or he caught on incredibly fast.

Riku didn’t say anything as they rode. Not that Diaval would have been able to hold a conversation as a horse, but he was used to Aurora, who would always tell him all about her day whenever they rode together. Riku didn’t really seem up to talking. His mind was in another world.

It took about an hour to arrive at the Town South of Ulstead. When the small brick fence that encircled the town came into view, Diaval stopped and kneeled down again for Riku to get off.

“Was that so bad?” Diaval asked as Riku stretched his back.

“Ask me when I’m not so sore,” Riku grunted.

Diaval laughed. “You’ll get better with practice.”

“Sure,” Riku said as they passed beneath the gate into town. Riku peered around. “Where is everybody?”

“It is pretty strange for this town to be so empty.” Diaval admitted. The vendors’ carts that always lined the road sat abandoned. He would be unable to buy one of his precious corn muffins. “They’re probably scared of the creature,” he offered. “Let’s go see.”

As they went further into town, they didn’t meet a soul. The doors and windows were all locked and shuttered, and the whole place was deathly silent. When they got to the town square, where Diaval thought for sure they would find someone they could question, he had to admit to himself that something was very wrong.

The central fountain was completely frozen solid.

“This is the work of an ice fairy,” Diaval said, awed by the intricate patterns in the ice. “But they don’t usually come this far south of the mountains.”

“There!” Riku pointed to the head of the square at a figure floating through the town. The creature resembled one of the medium sized forest fairies, not small like the three fairies that so adored Riku’s hair, but not quite Maleficent’s size.

She could have been mistaken for a human child, if she hadn’t been levitating several feet from the ground. Her movements were sluggish and slow. Her wings beat a slowly, lethargic rhythm. He had never seen a fairy move so listlessly. Everything about her seemed sad.

Diaval approached the fairy slowly and spoke in a soothing voice. “Hello, there. You’re far away from home, aren’t you? Why don’t you come with us and we’ll take you back?”

But Riku looked suspicious of the fairy. “Are you sure that’s one of the fae?”

“Of course. She’s an ice fairy. They can make the most beautiful snow sculptures. Maybe she’ll show us once she feels safe.” He tried to wave the fairy over. “It’s all right. We won’t hurt you.”

The fairy didn’t budge, and Riku suddenly shifted, stepping in front of him with his arm out protectively. “You don’t fool me. Why don’t you show your true form?”

“Riku, you’ll frighten her,” Diaval tried to say, but then the fairy’s head tipped back and she let out the most frightful wail. Darkness bubbled up from her feet and engulfed her body.

All of a sudden, Riku had a gleaming sword in his hand. Or maybe it was a key. Was this the weapon Maleficent had spoken of? “Stay back,” Riku said as the darkness exploded outward. “Don’t let it touch you.”

They both jumped back as the darkness slowly pooled towards them, and the little fairy’s body began to grow. She grew until she was even taller than Maleficent, until she was towering above the buildings.

“I don’t understand,” Diaval said. “The fairies in the north were some of the gentlest creatures I’ve ever met.”

“This thing is a Heartless,” Riku said. “Whoever that was before, they’re long gone. Their heart’s been stolen. Do you understand?”

“That’s a Heartless?” Maleficent always spoke of the Heartless as if they were some trifling nuisance. Diaval never imagined them to look so fearsome. “Can we restore her true self?”

“Maybe. But we have to destroy this one first.”

The fairy gave another terrible cry, and smaller Heartless appeared at her heels. They each resembled corrupted moor folk. Diaval hoped this didn’t mean others had fallen to this terrible darkness.

The Heartless leapt at them, and Riku swung his Keyblade like it was nothing. The creatures disappeared in puffs of dark mist, but more appeared to take their place. “Get to cover. I’ll handle this.”

But Diaval wasn’t just some helpless crow. He was more than a crow. He let the ring’s magic wash over him and made the turn to wolf. He was so tall he came up to Riku’s shoulders.

Riku hardly looked surprised this time.

They nodded to each other and threw themselves into battle. The smaller ones were easy, but the Heartless fairy assaulted them with the full force of her ice magic.

“Cover me,” Riku called. “I’m going to end it.”

Diaval mauled and clawed at the Heartless that tried to reach Riku, and as he ran toward the Heartless fairy, fire encircled his body. The fairy screamed in anguish as Riku approached her, the heat making her wilt, and Diaval felt truly sorry for her. Riku rushed at the fairy and his sword pierced her chest. She gave one more long, anguished cry before she gradually faded away.

“There might be other Heartless that got away into town,” Riku said. He looked unsteady on his feet, and he was completely out of breath. Using that magic must have taken a lot out of him.

“You stay here. I can take a look around.”

Diaval used the power of the ring to shift back to his usual, beautiful self, and rose up into the air on the breeze. He looked all through the town, paying extra close attention to the shadows, but the Heartless were really gone.

“It’s done,” Diaval said when he returned. “Everything’s returned to normal.”

Riku looked lost in thought. “I have no idea why the darkness is so strong on this world.” He looked at Diaval intently. “There must be a source to this darkness. If we could find that, the Heartless would leave you all alone for good.”

“I hope you’re able to find it,” Diaval said. He hoped no fairy would ever have to suffer that fate again. “Let’s get back to Maleficent. She’ll want to know what happened here.”

“Yeah,” Riku said, but his mind didn’t seem to be in the present. Diaval wondered what he was thinking about.

* * *

The boy her godmother had asked her to look after talked in his sleep. She couldn’t quite understand the muttered words, but she took it as a sign that he was recovering.

Aurora reached down and adjusted the blankets to make sure his feet weren’t cold. They had servants who could look after him, but Maleficent had asked if she could keep an eye on him.

Even without her godmother’s request, Aurora still would have made the effort to check up on him. He was their guest, after all. She couldn’t just pass that on to the servants.

Philip might have helped her, but he was off in the neighboring kingdom brokering a peace treaty. That kingdom had finally agreed to make peace with their local fair folk. Aurora hoped that someday, humans and fair folk the world over could live in harmony.

The boy, Sora, muttered again, much louder than before.

She leaned her face close to his. “Sora?” she called gently, and his eyes fluttered. “Sora, can you hear me?”

Suddenly, his eyes shot open and he lifted his head from the pillow like he was trying to sit up, but he groaned halfway through and lay back down.

“Careful, you’re still hurt,” Aurora said, touching his forehead. “You’ve been asleep a very long time.”

He looked at her warily. “Who are you?”

“My name is Aurora. You’re safe here.” Sora was breathing rather quickly, and his mouth was set in a hard line. “What’s hurting you?”

“It’s my head,” Sora replied with knitted brows.

“Are you nauseous?”

“A little, but I’ll be all right. Is my friend Riku around?”

“He’s with my godmother right now. He’ll be very happy to know you’re awake.” Riku had come to visit Sora nearly every day while he convalesced. It simultaneously warmed and broke her heart to see him so worried about his friend. “Would you like me to go get him?”

“Wait.” Sora began trying to sit up again. “You shouldn’t go by yourself. There’s a terrible darkness.”

Aurora blinked. “I’m sorry?”

“Can’t you feel it? There must be a whole nest of Heartless around here somewhere. I can’t let you go alone.”

“Please stay in bed, Sora,” Aurora said, gently pushing him down. “You’re going to tire yourself out.”

It looked like he already had. With a sigh, he sunk back into the bed.

Aurora made sure Sora was all wrapped up and warm in the blankets. “You stay here and go back to sleep. When you wake up, I’ll be back with Riku.”

“It’s dangerous,” Sora insisted, but he could hardly keep his eyes open.

“Don’t worry, Sora,” she said, squeezing his shoulder. “I’ll be fine. I’ll bring plenty of guards with me, okay?”

Sora had already fallen asleep.

She rose from the chair beside his bed and called the guard outside the door. “Make sure he stays here and rests,” she said. “I need someone to escort me to Maleficent Evil Incorporated headquarters.”

“Yes, my lady,” the guard said, bowing. As the guard went to fetch her escort, Aurora gazed back at Sora’s sleeping face. She was glad he was awake, but he clearly wasn’t well yet. There was no darkness in this castle, not anymore. It was perfectly safe.


	3. The Call of the Darkness

Diaval’s ring had run out of magical energy from so many transformations in such a short time, so they would have to walk part of the way until the magic had replenished. Riku didn’t mind. He was tired form the battle, and the thought of getting on a horse again for another hour wasn’t all that appealing to him.

He and Diaval didn’t say anything to each other as they walked the worn path back towards Maleficent’s hideout—headquarters, he had to remind himself. It was so strange to think of her as anything short of evil. A few years ago, he couldn’t have imagined himself helping Maleficent ever again. He certainly wouldn’t have even dreamed she would help Sora the way she had.

Riku’s thoughts turned slightly bleak as he thought of his poor friend. What he wouldn’t give to be able to go back to that moment on the cliff and change something, any small detail that would save Sora the pain he must surely be in right now. Riku hated how powerless he felt, but there was nothing he could do. Sora wasn’t going to get better from him sulking about it.

“Riku?”

“Huh?” Riku looked up to find Diaval looking at him with concern. “Yeah, what is it?”

“Are you all right?”

Was his depressed mood that obvious? Riku was usually better at keeping his feelings a secret. “I’m fine. It’s nothing.” Sora wasn’t nothing, but Riku didn’t correct himself. “But I was wondering about something.”

“What’s that?”

“How did you wind up working for Maleficent?”

“Ah. There’s not much to it. Some farmers were trying to kill me and she turned me human to save my life. So I pledged my life to her.”

“Turned you human? You’re not human?” Riku’s eyes widened. “Don’t tell me you’re actually a horse.”

Diaval grinned and transformed into the crow from earlier. He flew up to a low-hanging branch and fanned his wings out eagerly.

“Oh. You’re a raven.”

He nodded and cawed happily. At least it sounded happy to Riku. Diaval seemed like a very proud raven.

“Do you think me strange?” Diaval asked once he was back in his human form.

“A little,” Riku admitted. “But I shouldn’t be that surprised. One of my closest friends is a mouse.”

“I’ve never met an enchanted mouse before. You’ll have to introduce us.”

“Oh, no. He’s not enchanted. He’s just a mouse.” Riku held his hand up to his waist. “He’s about this tall, if you count his ears.” Riku knew Diaval was laughing at him, but he was used to that reaction when he told people about Mickey Mouse. “It makes sense when you meet him.”

“And you think me the strange one,” Diaval said, still chuckling. “What about you? How did you end up under Maleficent’s wing?”

Riku’s eyes clouded over, and Diaval added, “If you don’t want to talk about it—”

“My friend was hurt,” Riku said before he lost the nerve. “Maleficent did everything she could to heal him. In exchange, I agreed to be her secretary until she could find a new one.”

“Is your friend going to be all right?”

Riku shook his head. “I don’t know. He’s been asleep for a week.” In truth, Riku wasn’t so sure Sora would survive this one, but he was afraid to say it out loud.

“Ah. I see.” Riku appreciated the sympathy, but he didn’t like to be pitied. “If it’s any consolation, Maleficent is the most powerful sorceress in all the land. If she’s worked her magic on him, he has the best chances.”

“Thanks,” Riku said, though it didn’t really lift his mood.

Before they could say much more on the topic, someone began to scream for help further up the path. He and Diaval nodded at each other and ran toward the source of the screams.

They came to a clearing and found a woman surrounded by Heartless. It was Aurora, Maleficent’s daughter who was taking care of Sora. Riku had only ever met her briefly whenever he’d gone to visit Sora. She was a lot like the Aurora they knew: radiantly beautiful and very kind. He had always sensed a powerful light in her. It was the sort of light that piqued the Heartless’ hunger.

Riku sprang forward and made quick work of the Heartless before they could do any harm to Aurora.

“Diaval!” she called, and ran into his arms, looking incredibly relieved. Riku wasn’t offended that she hadn’t thanked him instead of Diaval, who had done nothing.

“Aurora, what are you doing here? You shouldn’t be out here by yourself. There are monsters about.”

“I had guards with me, but those creatures…” She trailed off, and Riku shook his head.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Their hearts are gone.”

Aurora looked dejected, and Diaval touched her shoulder. “What were you doing out here?”

“I came to find you, Riku,” she said. “Sora is awake. He’s calling for you.”

A great weight lifted from Riku’s heart. He could finally breathe again. “Really? Is he all right?”

“I don’t think he’s completely well,” Aurora said uncertainly. “He’s hallucinating. He says the castle is full of darkness.”

Riku narrowed his eyes. “Did he really?”

“Yes. He was very upset. I think he would calm down if you came to see him.”

“Then there’s no time to waste. Diaval, is your ring ready?”

When Riku turned to look at Diaval, he was already a stallion. The ring glinted in his left ear.

Riku patted his snout. “Good horse.”

* * *

By the time they got to Aurora’s castle, the sun was low in the sky. The moment they crossed the threshold into the castle, Riku felt a terrible, miserable darkness wash over him. Sora most definitely was not hallucinating.

“Right this way,” Aurora said, guiding them through the hallway. Riku would have rushed ahead without them, but the castle was a maze. He had never entered through here, and he didn’t know how to reach Sora from this way.

Riku sensed the darkness throughout the castle, and he wondered if it had even been safe for Sora to be here this whole time. They turned a dark corner, and suddenly Riku knew where they were. He pushed ahead and reached the door to Sora’s room before the others.

The guard posted outside recognized him and let him through. Inside, like always, Sora lay on a bed piled high with blankets. He looked very small.

Riku sat at the edge of the bed and took Sora by the shoulder. “Sora?” he called softly, and Sora didn’t move right away. He worried that Sora might have gotten worse since Aurora left him, but eventually Sora began to stir.

Sora opened his eyes slowly, and Riku’s heart swelled with relief. “Riku?” Sora said worriedly.

“I’m here, Sora,” Riku reassured him.

“Riku!” Suddenly Sora was sitting up, but then he grunted and held his head.

“Easy,” Riku said, and he pulled Sora gently into a tight embrace. “It’s over. You’re going to be okay.”

“Riku…” Sora’s voice was warm. Normally Riku was embarrassed to show affection, but he was so relieved that it didn’t matter right now. Now that he knew Sora would be okay, he could admit the truth to himself: he really had thought Sora was going to die.

He heard the others come in and he pulled away, but he kept his hands on Sora’s shoulders. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Me too,” Sora said. Then his eyes twinkled mischievously. “I like your flowers.”

“Oh.” Riku touched the wilting blooms self consciously. He had completely forgotten about those. It was way past the hour when he told the three fairies he would remove them. “Thanks.”

Sora’s smile faltered. “Riku, I now you can feel the darkness,” he said to him quietly, so that Aurora and Diaval couldn’t hear him. “She doesn’t believe me.”

“I do,” Riku whispered back. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”

Sora frowned. “But it’s really powerful. I don’t think you should go by yourself.”

“Don’t worry,” Riku said again, standing up from the bed. “Aurora, how deep down does the castle go?”

“There are two levels below us,” Aurora said. “And then there’s the cellar. But…we don’t really go down there anymore. Too many bad memories. Why?”

If there were bad memories involved, then he had no doubt that was where the Heartless would be. “How do I get to the cellar?”

“You actually want to go there?” Diaval asked. “Even if that was a good idea, you wouldn’t be able to get in. Maleficent locked it tight with a spell.”

“It won’t be a problem for me,” Riku said casually.

“Riku, please don’t go by yourself,” Sora said. “You can call for help.”

“There’s no time for that.” The darkness was ready to burst. If he didn’t do something about it, the whole castle, no, the whole world would be in trouble.

Sora sighed. “Be careful.”

“I will,” Riku assured him. “Diaval, I want you to stay here with them. There’s something awful brewing down there. The Heartless will be attracted to their light.”

“I will. Just come back in one piece.”

With a final glance at Sora’s worried face, Riku left the room and followed the trail of darkness down the hall, trading carefully. He followed the darkness back the way they had come, back through the main hall, through the servant’s passage and through countless dark hallways.

He came to a locked door at the back of the throne room. There were no guards around to stop him, so he unlocked it with his Keyblade and continued his descent downward. The stairs were grimy and torches along the wall were unlit. He lit the tip of his Keyblade and continued forward.

At the bottom of the stairs, the path forward was sealed with a pulsing green light. So this was the way. Without a second thought, Riku used his Keyblade to break the seal.

A burst of familiar magic washed over him. Maleficent had put a lot of magical energy into sealing this place away, but it was no match for the Keyblade. What awful things had happened down here that they had to go to this much trouble to seal it away?

Cautiously, Riku carried forward. Beyond the sealed pathway was a metal bridge. It looked incredibly rickety, but Riku wasn’t afraid of heights. He started across the bridge, and by the weak light of his Keyblade he could see what looked like a forge down below. There was weaponry that looked like it had been disarmed, and tools that looked like they were meant for a terrible purpose that Riku didn’t want to think about. He crossed as quickly as he could.

Across the bridge there was a dead end, a room that looked like it had once been a workshop of some kind. The darkness called him further forward. Riku didn’t like listening to its pull, but it no longer had any sway over him. He could follow the call without being lulled into its embrace.

He followed the darkness to the back of the room, where there was an even smaller room set into the back wall, but Riku didn’t dare enter. The darkness was echoing loudly in his heart, and Riku hated tight spaces. He could hardly stand being here in this little room underground with no windows.

He peered inside the room and found a spinning wheel with no needle.

He knew the story of what Maleficent had done on the other world with the other Aurora that he and Sora knew. He had cursed her to prick her finger on a spinning wheel and fall into a deep sleep. Was this that spinning wheel? Was this whole underground bunker some monument to her previous evil she wanted to forget?

No. It didn’t feel right. It wasn’t her style. It wasn’t her evil.

The darkness surged in intensity behind him, and Riku spun around. Behind him was a Heartless that looked almost identical to the spinning wheel he had just been facing. Except it had its needle, and it was pointed straight at Riku.

The Heartless lunged at him, and Riku dodged out of the way just in time. He summoned his Keyblade and sliced the Heartless in two. It exploded into darkness, and Riku looked around. There would be more where that came from.

Riku rushed back the way he had come. If there were Heartless here then there could be more upstairs with the others. He ran back through the workshop and back to the bridge. The bridge felt even ricketier than before as he ran, but he didn’t stop. Halfway across, he felt a tingling at the back of his neck, and when he looked up, a Heartless appeared from the aether.

Riku slid to a halt and fell back, just barely avoiding the Heartless as it crashed into the bridge. The chains holding the bridge up snapped, and the whole thing collapsed to the lower floor. Riku did a summersault and managed not to get banged up too much.

The Heartless looked like a spinning wheel, just like the last one, only this one was ten times bigger. Riku readied his Keyblade to fight it. He was confident he could beat it no problem. He had fought stronger foes alone.

But it was faster than he gave it credit for, a lot faster than its hulking size let on. Before he knew it, the creature was behind him.

Pain exploded in his back, and Riku screamed. His vision blurred, and he got very, very dizzy. He fell backward and tried to catch himself, but his limbs had turned to jelly. Struggle as hard as he could, he couldn’t get up. The last thing he saw was the Heartless looming over him, getting ready to strike.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I knew I had to get rid of Riku somehow or I would just keep writing about him! Sleep well, my prince.


	4. Where the Darkness Lurks

Maleficent felt the precise moment when her seal was broken, and she knew precisely who had broken it. There were only two people on the whole world who had the power to undo that spell, and one of them was in a coma.

“That fool,” she uttered under her breath.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on her connection with Diaval. “Diaval,” she called, and the crow answered immediately.

“Mistress, thank goodness. We have a bit of a problem.”

“Let me guess. That idiot Keybearer went down to the basement and broke my seal.” 

There was a long pause. “Nothing gets past you, Mistress.”

“Is that all?”

“There’s darkness filling the whole castle. Monsters are roaming the halls.”

“Is Aurora with you?” If Aurora was somewhere alone and in danger, Maleficent would never forgive Riku.

“She’s here. We’re barricaded in a room, but I don’t know how long we’ll be safe. The Heartless are trying to get in as we speak.”

Maleficent growled. It wasn’t Riku’s fault the darkness had seeped out and taken over the castle. It would have done so whether he broke the seal or not, but her magic night have bought them some time.

“Stay where you are,” Maleficent ordered. “I’m coming.”

She severed the connection and fanned out her wings. She burst out of her office and a gust of wind billowed through the room. The three fairies had to grab tight hold of that oaf Pete’s fur not to get blown away.

“Pete,” she said. “Be on guard. There are Heartless lurking about. I’m needed at the castle.”

“Y-yes, Maleficent,” Pete said, looking completely unprepared for the job, and she rolled her eyes. She didn’t know why she kept him around.

With that, she zipped out of the headquarters and climbed into the sky, her staff gripped tight in her hand. It didn’t take much time at all to arrive at Aurora’s castle by air. She was there shortly with a few strokes of her powerful wings.

She landed atop the tallest spire, and the guards standing watch cowered in her presence. Despite the situation, their fear made her glad.

“Maleficent,” the bravest among them said, “the whole castle is crawling with monsters!”

“Please, go ahead and tell me something I don’t know,” Maleficent said sweetly.

“Uh…Prince Philip’s second favorite armor was destroyed a few minutes ago?”

“Never mind that, you fool,” Maleficent snapped. “Where is Aurora?”

“Last I heard she was over at the West Hall. She had her personal guard with her, so she’s probably fine.”

Probably wasn’t good enough. Maleficent rushed down the stairs and made her way through the castle. There were Heartless everywhere she turned. It angered her to see such creatures of darkness defile her Aurora’s domain.

At least there was one thing good about the darkness: she could easily sense Aurora’s light among the haze of Heartless.

She followed the beacon all the way to the end of the West Hall, and she knew which door Aurora was in without needing to know. There were Heartless clawing at the wood, fighting to break in and harm her beasty.

With a cry, Maleficent held up her staff and sent out a wall of flames that obliterated them instantly. The door flew open.

“Godmother!” Aurora shouted. Her face was full of relief.

“Are you hurt?” Maleficent asked.

“Everyone is fine,” she said, gesturing to Diaval and the boy, who was still in the bed.

“Uh…hey, Maleficent,” Sora said, with a casual wave. As much as she hated to admit it, she was happy to see him awake. She had used the full strength of her magic to heal him, but she hadn’t been so sure he would survive. He still looked tired. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Likewise,” Maleficent said, and she smiled wickedly. “You haven’t grown an inch.”

Above Sora’s protests, she turned to Diaval. “Let’s go rescue that fool from whatever he’s gotten himself into.”

“We can’t leave them alone, Mistress. The Heartless’ll tear them to shreds.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Maleficent asked coolly. She raised her staff and shouted an incantation, and the walls began to glow with a green light. “Your light is like a beacon in this darkness. The Heartless will come for you first. This will protect you from them.” She looked poignantly at Sora. “No matter what happens, you will not break the seal if you know what’s good for you.”

Sora gulped. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. Come, Diaval.”

Diaval transformed into a raven and they flew out into the hall. She destroyed every vile Heartless her magic could touch. The main halls were wide enough to accommodate her wingspan, but once they reached the lower levels, she had to walk.

They came upon the pathway that she had sealed all those years ago. “That fool,” she said, sneering. “Didn’t he once stop to think that perhaps this place was sealed for a reason?”

 _He wanted to keep them safe_ , Diaval said through their mind link. _Can’t fault him for that_.

Maleficent didn’t respond. They carried forward into the dank stairway. Maleficent did not want to think about all the horrors that had been committed against her people down here. She had hoped this place would remained sealed forever.

Along the spiral staircase, Heartless jumped at them. Despite her being the mistress of all evil, the Heartless were still deluded enough to think they could challenge her. Each Heartless that dared to come close to her or Diaval was obliterated in a burst of green lightning.

The path forward was familiar, even though she had only ever been here once three years ago. She, Aurora and Prince Phillip had come to survey exactly what that evil queen had done, to see the depths of her crimes. As they came to an expanse of nothing, Maleficent remembered that there was supposed to be a metal bridge reaching across to the other side.

She heard a scream from the darkness below, and recognized Riku’s voice. She created a magical flame and sent it down to the lower level to find a truly hideous Heartless.

Of course it was in the shape of a spinning wheel, a reminder of all her past misdeeds. In her days of evil, she had made her own types of Heartless in the shape of a spinning wheel, but this one was truly an abomination.

Riku looked like he was fighting to stand up, fighting just to stay awake. He wouldn’t be for long. If this Heartless was drawing on the remnants of her curse, like she thought, then it knew powerful sleep magic. Riku wouldn’t be able to resist the call of slumber.

The Heartless reared back and lifted its legs up to deal the final blow.

“I supposed we should think about rescuing him,” Maleficent said.

 _Mistress_ , Diaval said as the creature drew ever closer to trampling Riku.

Maleficent sighed dramatically. “If you must. Form of a dragon.”

Diaval’s tiny crow body grew to ten times its size, and he took the form of a magnificent black dragon. He swooped down at the Heartless with his claws extended. His claws sank into the creature, and it roared despite having no synapses. Diaval pushed him back against the wall, away from Riku.

Maleficent glided down to the ground floor and landed beside Riku, who was completely asleep. She looked at him with utter disgust. She was not kissing him to wake him up. It probably wouldn’t work anyway with how furious she was with him.

“Diaval,” she called, “get him out of here. I’ll handle this beast.”

_I don’t think that’s such a good idea. It might take both of us to bring this creature down._

“That’s an order, Diaval,” Maleficent growled, and Diaval pushed away from the Heartless and swerved around. He picked Riku up in his claws and hovered above her.

_Careful, Mistress. You don’t want to end up like him._

“Leave us,” Maleficent said.

_Ay, Mistress._

Diaval swooped away up into the dim light.

Maleficent turned to face the Heartless. It picked itself up from the floor and set its eyes on her. She had understood what this Heartless was from the moment she set eyes on this monstrosity. This Heartless wasn’t just any darkness. It was the darkness of the queen who had committed such awful atrocities in the name of advancing her kingdom. This Heartless was the last gasp of Queen Ingrith’s hatred and loathing for the moors.

It would take all of Maleficent’s strength to defeat it. The Heartless roared and charged her, and Maleficent dodged it easily. She wasn’t really worried about herself, but there was no telling what sort of evil this Heartless could inflict on the land if it reached the ground level. She would need to end this as quickly as possible.

Maleficent summoned the most powerful flames she could and sent them raining down on the beast. It held its own against her magic, and Maleficent strained to hold the beast back. She had to do this for Aurora, for Diaval, and even those foolish boys, but Maleficent shocked herself when she realized she wasn’t just doing this for them. She was doing it for the whole world, moors and humans alike.

Maleficent thought of Aurora, the light of her world, and she remembered how anguished she had been when this world’s heart first fell to darkness fifteen years ago. She had been unable to do anything to prevent the darkness from devouring everything and everyone she loved.

The darkness swallowed the world whole, and she had been the only one to survive. The darkness had always been close to her heart, but she had never fully let it in. In that moment, when she thought she would never see her beasty again, she embraced it, and the darkness consumed her heart.

She tore off her wings in shame and traveled the worlds, desiring nothing more than the suffering of others. They had always called her an evil witch, and she would make true on those stories. She traveled the words fueled by her hatred, and found a world quite similar to her homeworld. There was a princess named Aurora and three fairies who granted her gifts of beauty and grace.

Maleficent became the witch they had always called her, and she cursed the princess and fought her hardest to tear down that kingdom. She had thought it would bring her peace, but she was only left even emptier. Over the years she clashed with many warriors of the light, including those two foolish boys, and every time they defeated her, she only grew more furious.

It wasn’t until Sora discovered a way to revive her homeworld that she truly found peace, and set aside her evil ways for good. She had only had her world back for three years, but it felt like much too short of a time. This world, with Aurora, Diaval, and all of her people from the moors, was her home, and she could not afford to lose it again. She didn’t think her heart would survive another descent into madness and darkness.

Firmly back in the present, Maleficent gave a mighty bellow, and she shoved against the Heartless with all of her magical strength. The creature was bathed in green light, the flames of Maleficent’s devotion to the people she cared about. Under the weight of such power, such love, the Heartless faded away.

Out of breath, Maleficent sunk to the floor. It was done. Queen Ingrith and her darkness would never trouble them again. After she gathered back her strength, Maleficent spread her wings and flew back up into the light, back to her family.

* * *

When Maleficent came back into the room at the end of the West Hall, Riku was sitting groggily against the wall, Sora’s face was red, and Aurora was smiling, and Maleficent understood. There was only one way to wake someone from such powerful sleep magic.

She pretended not to notice a thing.

“Riku, are you okay?” Sora asked softly.

“Yeah,” Riku said, his voice heavy from sleep. He looked at Maleficent. “It’s done, isn’t it?”

“The darkness is gone,” Maleficent said. “That evil queen’s darkness is vanquished for good. It will never trouble us again.” She sneered. “To think such a terrible darkness was brewing right under our noses. How could I not notice?”

“Her betrayal was much the same, wasn’t it?” Diaval asked. “She hid in plain sight. It makes sense that her darkness would be the same.”

“Perhaps. I wish to think no more of it,” Maleficent said with a wave of her hand. She would never spare Queen Ingrith another thought for the rest of her days, except maybe to turn her into another unappealing animal. She turned her attention to Riku. “Your friend is awake and the darkness is gone. You may quit if you desire.”

Riku shrugged. “I promised I’d be your secretary until you found a replacement. Besides, Sora still needs to rest.”

“Riku, I’m fine,” Sora insisted, but Aurora placed a hand on his shoulder.

“You really aren’t,” Aurora said. “I would love it if you’d stay awhile and get better.”

Sora broke instantly under the weight of Aurora’s kindness. “I…I guess I could rest a little longer.”

“Great! I can’t wait for you to meet Prince Philip! He’ll love both of you!”

“Riku,” Maleficent said, “take the rest of the day off, but I expect you to be back at work first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Understood,” Riku said, stretching. She was secretly glad he hadn’t abandoned her just yet. Though she would never admit it out loud, she sort of liked having him around.

With a wave of her staff, Maleficent turned Diaval back into a crow, and together they flew out of the room in a gust of feathers. Maleficent flew out of the nearest window, without breaking it, of course, and flew towards Maleficent Evil Incorporated headquarters. Her world was safe, and so long as she lived, it would never succumb to an evil as vile as that ever again.

She flew towards the setting sun with love and hope in her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this story! Like I said, I got really carried away! Originally this was just going to be a oneshot of antics in the office, and Riku was going to make a cameo. But then it became this whole mystery about the darkness. I was a little nervous about making it a Kingdom Hearts crossover because I thought you might not like it, but I just kept remembering that Kingdom Hearts story you wrote, and I decided to take the chance!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this! I really loved writing it! And if you actually don't like the whole Kingdom Hearts aspect of this, please tell me! I'll totally write something that takes place in this universe that doesn't have all the Kingdom Hearts stuff!


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